Monument Valley - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

A majestic historic location in Northern Arizona, Monument Valley’s collection of crimson mesas and towering sandstone buttes captures colors that appear only in nature. The astonishing scenic beauty of the pristine desert landscape also reflects the reverence Arizona’s tribal communities have for the land. It is maintained as a visitor attraction by Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation. Visitors are welcome to drive the 17-mile dirt loop, Valley Drive, on self-guided tours of the valley.

John Wayne's Point is a scenic viewpoint in Arizona. John Wayne's Point is situated nearby to The View Restaurant, and close to Photographers Point.

A majestic butte in the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in northeast Navajo County, Arizona. When viewed from the south, the buttes appear to be two giant mittens with their thumbs facing inwards.The summit of West Mitten Butte is 6,176 ft and East Mitten Butte is 6,226 ft in elevation. The Mittens form a triangle with Merrick Butte about 2⁄3 mi to the south and, with Sentinel Mesa, a more extensive plateau, towards the northwest.

It is a section of Monument Valley that is only accessible by visitors who have a Navajo guide. This is probably for the best because there are several sensitive archeological sites, several Navajo families whose homes are in the area and do not want to be disturbed, and perhaps most importantly, the roads are very poor with deep sand and no signage at all.

A majestic Butte located in Monument Valley and is part of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, similar to its neighbors West and East Mitten Buttes just to the north. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many things to see.

West and East Mitten Buttes are two distinctive geological features found within the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park in northeast Navajo County, Arizona. When viewed from the south, the buttes appear to be two gigantic mittens with their thumbs facing inwards.The buttes are made of three principal rock layers. The lowest layer is Organ Rock Shale, the middle is de Chelly Sandstone, and the top layer is the Moenkopi Formation, capped by Shinarump Conglomerate.